Faced with too much of one vegetable, my go-to strategy is to make soup. It’s a matter of peering inside the vegetable crisper and thinking, Oops, those carrots are getting old – or, Why did I buy all those expensive mushrooms? The answer to this veg dilemma is: make soup.
I had a head of lettuce that had been languishing in the fridge, and no desire to chop it into salad. It was attractive to look at; the leaves small, varicolored red and green, with frilly tops. But the ribs were oddly tough, rather than crisp, and the flavor somehow too strong.
So I stood contemplating it. The outer leaves had gotten brown and slimy, but after I stripped all that away, I saw that the heart of the lettuce was sound. Waste not, want not, I thought. How about soup?
Of all my cookbooks, only one had a recipe for lettuce soup – a French chiffonade served cold. But the Internet yielded a number of recipes. People’s enthusiastic comments pushed me farther in as I realized how easy the recipe is, and how adaptable. Substitute a cup of chopped, mixed salad greens, arugula, or spinach for part of the lettuce to get a deeper green color. Some throw in a handful of peas, or a quarter-cup diced cooked potatoes, or cook in a tablespoon of rice for more body.
One comment struck a note with me: don’t make it too fancy if you want the delicate lettuce flavor to come through, or in the end you’ll have just a vegetable soup. I decided to keep it simple, as I was curious. And was surprised and pleased at how tasty and soothing lettuce soup really is.
Note: you can choose to go vegan with this soup: omit the dairy and substitute olive oil.
Lettuce Soup
Surprisingly delicious lettuce soup
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 2 medium cloves garlic (chopped)
- 3 cups water
- 8 cups lettuce leaves (clean and coarsely chopped)
- 1 small handful parsley or celery leaves (coarsely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Optional but recommended: 2 tablespoons fresh or sour cream
- Fresh lemon juice to taste
- Choose one or more optional garnishes to float on the soup: thin slices of fresh radish (halved cherry tomatoes, a little finely chopped cilantro or dill, a drizzle of olive oil, toasted sliced almonds, croutons.)
- Melt the butter over medium heat. Don’t let it brown.
- Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Add water, bring to a simmer, and cook, covered, until vegetables are very tender, about 8 minutes.
- Add lettuce and parsley and cook until wilted and softened, 2-4 minutes.
- Blend the soup until very smooth. I used a stick blender right in the pot, having first removed it from the heat and allowed the soup to cool somewhat before blending.
- Add the fresh or sour cream; blend again.
- Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. Here’s where you add lemon juice for bright flavor – from a quarter to half a medium lemon. Taste and judge, but don’t let the lemon overwhelm the soup.
-
Eat it hot, tepid or cold. It’s good hot, but I like it best tepid, drizzled with olive oil and drunk out of a cup. It would also be pleasant served cold on a summer evening, with crusty bread or crackers.
Enjoy!
